During aircraft operation, it is important to provide accurate and timely information to the pilot that facilitates effective flight management. The primary flight display is typically provided to display information generated by the flight management system about course, speed, altitude, rate of climb and the like. In particular, the primary flight display may display navigation information, such as a visual depiction of the trajectory according to the flight plan with respect to latitude, longitude, and altitude. Conventional systems may also display some deviation symbology that provides an indication about the current state of the aircraft relative to the anticipated state of the aircraft specified by the flight plan.
More recent and future generations of aircraft systems are implementing flight plans that additionally incorporate a time constraint or consideration, e.g., a flight plan that requires the aircraft to arrive reliably at a predetermined location (e.g., waypoint) at a predetermined time. Although some conventional systems provide information about lateral and vertical deviation from the flight plan, conventional systems typically do not generate or display time deviation of the current state of the aircraft relative to the flight plan.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved aircraft systems for displaying flight information, particularly information related to lateral, vertical, and time deviation with respect to a flight plan and the current state of the aircraft. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.